


It's a Date!

by RachelEmberLee



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: 5+1 Things, Awkward Dates, Ax doesn't understand, M/M, Monopoly (Board Game), Oblivious, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-05-16 02:59:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5811034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachelEmberLee/pseuds/RachelEmberLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco likes to say he's always kept his cool, and that he could get any girl that he wants. Not much can be said when he wants to ask a certain member of the Animorphs out on a date.</p><p>Or,</p><p>5 times Marco attempted to ask Ax on a date, and 1 time he truly did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 5

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mops/gifts).



> This is my first Animorphs fanfic, and it's been a bit since I've actually read Animorphs myself (aside from reading a little of an Ax book to try to get him right), so I apologise for any bad characterization. I got the idea from mops, and with her permission I'm writing a fanfiction about it. So, without further ado, here's "It's a Date!"

“Hey Ax-man,” Marco said, one day when visiting the scoop out of the blue. Tobias wasn’t around, probably flying around, keeping watch.

<Marco,> Ax greeted him.

“We should do something. Go to a movie or something?” Marco bit his lip and ran his hand through his longish hair. _Maybe I should get a haircut or something_ , he thought.

<That sounds agreeable,> Ax said, nodding.

“Awesome,” Marco said, grinning. He couldn’t believe it had been that easy. “Let’s go tomorrow, at two. Dad’s expecting me home soon.” He looked up at the darkening sky above them. At Ax’s nod, Marco smiled and waved goodbye.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_--_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Marco tapped his foot nervously and almost impatiently. He glanced around, and lifted his hand to wave at Ax when he noticed Tobias walking with him. He kept smiling, though, and waited as they approached.

“Hey, Ax-man. Tobias.” He nodded at the both of them, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice.

“Hello, Marco. Marrr. Coo,” Ax said, repeating sounds like always. “Tobias wished to come as well. Elll.”

“I noticed.”

They started walking to the entrance of the movie theater before they heard someone call them. Marco, Ax, and Tobias turned to see the rest of the group approaching them. “Hey,” Rachel said brightly. “Heard you guys were watching a movie.”

“Er, yeah,” Marco said.

“Don’t mind if we join, then?” Rachel said, grabbing Tobias’s hand and swinging it in hers.

“I guess not…,” Marco muttered, stalking his way into the movie theater.

Cassie tilted her head curiously. “Hey Ax?” she asked, catching up with him.

“Yesssss?” Ax responded, stretching out the word.

“What did Marco say when he talked about going to the movies?”

“He said we should go see a movie. I agreed and asked Tobias if he would like to go.”

Cassie glanced back to Marco, who was a few steps ahead paying for tickets and snacks.


	2. 4

The next Saturday evening found Marco making his way to the scoop with a thin box under his arm. He looked around when he realized the place was empty.

<Marco?> Marco looked up to see Tobias. <Here to see Ax?>

“Er, yeah…,” Marco said, rubbing his neck

<He’s out feeding,> Tobias said.             

“I guess I’ll just wait here, then.” Marco nervously ran a hand through his hair. He sat on the grass with his legs crossed.

Marco felt Tobias watching him. He kept his eyes on the ground, face heating up as he fiddled with the grass. He felt almost relieved when he heard Ax’s hooves, soft on the grass.

<I’m gonna go eat now,> Tobias said. He lifted his wings and let the wind take him.

Marco looked up at the blue alien after Tobias left. “Uh, hey, Ax-man,” he greeted him. Ax inclined his head in a greeting. “I was wondering if you wanted to play a game with me?” Marco winced at how unsure his voice was, how high it got. He held up the box in clarification. “If you don’t know how to play, I could, uh, teach you…”

Ax walked around Marco and sat across from him. <All right,> he said. <Teach me.>

Marco smiled. He opened the box and pulled out the board, setting it down on the grass and making sure the ground was flat enough. “It’s a board game, called Monopoly. Um, you have to try to bankrupt the other person.” He took the paper money and container out of the box.

<Why?>

“That’s just how the world works, I guess. The game ends when all the players except one is bankrupt. Or, sometimes we have a set time and the one with the most money wins. Without a set time it could go on forever…”

Marco finished setting up and continued to explain the game. “We start with the same amount of money. But then we can buy property. And if the other person lands on the property, they have to pay the owner.”

<I see.>

“Here, pick your character,” Marco said, taking the silver shaggy dog for himself and holding out his palm, where the other pieces lay.

Ax’s long and nimble fingers hovered over Marco’s hand before plucking out the top hat.

<Hey guys,> Tobias said, appearing in the sky. Marco jumped, accidentally dropping the rest of the silver pieces. He nearly glared up at him. <What’s up?>

<We are playing a game. Would you like to join us? I am in understanding that friends play games together,> Ax said certainly, gesturing to where he got most of his human information, the television.

Tobias’s superior eyesight spotted Marco’s frown, and Marco keeping his eyes on the board in an attempt not to pout.

<Uh… if Marco doesn’t mind,> Tobias said, landing in one of the nearby trees.

“It’s okay, I guess,” Marco finally said after a moment of tense silence.

<There is an automobile and ship left, I believe,> Ax said, gesturing to the pieces on the ground. <And a thimble.>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I finally updated! Sorry for taking so long.


	3. 3

“I’m bored,” Marco said, sprawled on a big comfy chair in Ax’s scoop.

Ax glanced over. <But we are watching These Messages,> he said, not understanding what could possibly be boring.

“Let’s go to… the fair.” Marco grinned. “There’s something that will totally rival cinnamon buns.”

<I do not know how that would be true.>

“I bet it is!” Marco replied, struggling to sit up. He pulled himself up off the chair. “Seriously, though, let’s go to the fair. I’ll buy you a cotton candy. The thing that rivals cinnamon buns.”

Ax started to morph as Marco pulled his shoes on. When they were both ready, they walked out of the woods together. Marco led the way, navigating through known streets before they reached the front of the fair.

“I should have enough to get in, get some cotton candy, and play a game or two,” Marco said, taking his wallet out and rifling through it. When they got to the front of the line, Marco smiled at the attendant and said, “Two tickets please.” He handed over the money and received the tickets in return.

Marco gave Ax one of the tickets. “You have to give this to the vendor to get let in,” he said, and they walked up. Marco gave his ticket, and gestured for Ax to do the same. Ax tilted his head, but did. Marco grinned and grabbed onto Ax’s arm.

Marco quickly let go and looked down when Ax looked at him oddly. “Uh, sorry,” he said, “I just lost my balance.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and pretended to look around. “Look, there,” he said after a few minutes of silence, and he pointed out a cotton candy vendor. “Come on, I”ll show you.”

Ax trailed after him and they waited in line. Marco bought one cotton candy and gave it to Ax, picking out a piece and popping it in his mouth. Ax furrowed his brow at the ball of pink candy.

“You just… eat it,” Marco tried to explain. “Like this.” He got another piece and offered it to Ax’s mouth. Ax cautiously ate the piece from Marco’s fingers. Marco blushed and stuffed his hand in his pocket. He handed him the cone.

“Hey!”

The duo looked up and saw Rachel, pulling Tobias in human morph along. Rachel was waving as they made their way over. Marco couldn’t help but sigh and didn’t say anything when Ax looked at him oddly.  “Hey,” he said when Rachel and Tobias stopped in front of them.

“Uh, is something wrong?” Rachel asked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“No, everything’s okay,” Marco said, focusing on putting his longish hair up in a ponytail, trying to ignore his irritation.

“Are you sure?”

Marco only shrugged. “So, what do you guys want to do?”


	4. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it's bad... and that it took a while. And it's quite short.

“Hey Ax-man,” Marco said, hanging from a tree by his legs.

Ax took a few steps back in surprise and his stalk eyes scanned the area before spotting Marco. <Hello,> he said in response.

“Check these out,” Marco said, holding out two rectangular pieces of paper. He waved them around before offering them to Ax. “I won free tickets. Wanna go with me?”

Ax looked down at the papers in his many fingered hands. It was two tickets to the new planetarium specified for that day.

<I suppose,> Ax said. <I would like to go with you,> he amended, in clarification.

Marco smiled. “Awesome.” He reached up to grab another branch but missed and nearly fell, giving a cry of surprise. He landed in Ax’s arms, and blushed. “Uh, sorry.”

Ax carefully set Marco down, almost as if he was afraid of breaking him.

Marco looked like he wanted to hide. He looked down at the light green grass, and mumbled, “We should probably get going. To see the planetarium.” His ears were tinged red and his round nose twitched.

<Yes, we probably should,> Ax agreed, taking a step back and starting his human morph.

Marco finally looked up after a few silent moments and watched Ax morph. He thought his human morph was interesting, with it a mix of most of Jake, Cassie, Rachel, and himself.

Marco couldn't help but keep staring at Ax even when he was done morphing, causing Ax to tilt his head slightly to the right in question. “Yes, ess, Marco?”

“Uh, nothing, Ax,” Marco replied hastily. “Let's go.”

They left the wooded area and started on their way to civilization. Marco recovered quickly and grabbed Ax’s arm once they were at a busy intersection, pulling him along. “It's this way,” he said. “They're building it right next to the park.”

“This is not, ought, a mission, correct? Ect?” Ax asked.

“Correct, Ax-man. We're just hanging out. Together. Just us two. Ax-man and Marco.” Marco’s hand slid down Ax’s arm ended up in Ax’s hand. Neither of them noticed, as they arrived at the planetarium. They stood in line.

“Ax, Marco,” they heard. They turned to see Jake. Marco saw Jake’s eyes flicker down to their hands and Marco quickly let his hand drop. “We need to have a quick meeting at Cassie’s barn,” Jake said.

“Yeah, okay,” Marco muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go.”


	5. 1

The Animorphs were working on a difficult mission. They had already held four meetings in three days. They were tired and irritable and Marco wasn’t quite sure why but he needed to try one more time. He knew this was a bad time but decided that it was this or nothing. He still didn’t know what he would say but he needed to get it done today.

Cassie was working with her animals, as usual. Tobias was perched up in the rafters. Jake was leaning against the barn wall and Rachel was sitting on a bale of hay. Marco stood in the middle of the room, glancing around and surveying each person with his eyes before glancing back at Ax twice.

Ax was standing in the doorway, his stalk eyes glancing around, scanning the area to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary. His stalk eyes lingered on Marco when he noticed Marco staring at him.

Marco shoved his hands in his pockets again and looked away. Jake was talking, but he honestly wasn’t paying much attention, though he probably should have.

“My parents should by to release some of the animals soon,” Casse announces in one of Jake’s pauses. “So we should come back tomorrow.”

Jake pushed himself away from the wall, and Rachel stood. Tobias flew from the rafters and landed gently on Rachel’s shoulder.

It was now or never.

“Hey, Ax-man?” Marco said, taking a few steps forward.

Everybody stopped moving and looked over. Marco wasn’t quite sure why they did that, but his face started to heat up anyway. <Yes, Marco?> Ax replied, turning his full attention on the smaller boy.

“Could I talk to you in private?”

Ax glanced around at the others, confused. They didn’t say a word, so he looked back at Marco. <Alright,> he said, nodding his head once, before following him out.

“Should we… should we stay inside and wait?” Cassie asked, glancing at the others.

“Everybody knows what’s been going on, right?” Rachel asked in response.

<Marco has some interest in Ax,> Tobias said, careful to keep his thought speak directed only to the members inside the barn.

“I’ve noticed it,” Jake agrees, glancing at the direction Marco and Ax went. “How long do you think it’s been going on?”

“A while,” Cassie says. The others looked at her, and she shrugged. “I sensed it but wasn’t sure there was enough to confirm it,” she explains. “But I guess we’ve all seen enough.”

“No,” they heard Marco say, raising his voice from a whisper. He sounded nervous. “I don’t want to hang out with the others simultaneously. I want to hang out with just you.” Marco is heard shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Like a… like a date,” he finally said.

The rest of the group waited. Rachel sat back down, and Jake leaned back against the wall.

“Yeah,” Marco finally says. He laughed in what sounded like relief. “There’s a school dance happening pretty soon,” he continued. “Will you go with me?”

A few minutes later the two walked back in, and Marco had a smile on his face. He soon noticed everyone looking at them. “What?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Rachel says, a smile of her own on her face. “I guess we’ll all be at the dance, then?”

“Oh,” Marco says. He glances over at Ax. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a crap chapter but hey! Look at me, actually getting a fic done. One chapter left and this will be the first multi-chapter I've ever finished. Yay me.


End file.
